By Danielle Ngamegni
Kristan Hawkins hosted a “Change My Mind” public debate outside Hornbake Plaza Tuesday, where she discussed the moral and ethical arguments against abortion as part of her “Abortion Is Human Sacrifice” college campus tour.
Hawkins founded Students for Life of America in 2006. The non-profit organization focuses on anti-abortion advocacy and mobilizes pro-life student groups across the country.
Hawkins’ pro-life activism contributed to the verdict of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional protection for abortion rights. According to the BBC, pro-choice advocates said she helped terminate abortion access for around 20 million women in 2022.
Hawkins invited Angela Harders as a speaker, who shared her personal experience as a rape survivor whose assault resulted in pregnancy. She said she grew up in a pro-life household; her father was the vice president of the Rockville Pregnancy Center.
“I was really faced to address my own beliefs about what do I think about being pro-life and pro-choice,” she said.
She said she now seeks peaceful dialogue and common ground to navigate abortion discussions. She emphasized the importance of advocating for those in the womb who cannot speak for themselves.
Lydia Taylor Davis, spokesperson for Students for Life of America, said her ultimate goal is for fetuses to be granted the constitutional right to life under the 14th Amendment and for the Supreme Court to recognize fetuses as persons.
“The goal really is to reach these young people, my generation, Gen Z, with the message that we don’t need abortion in order to be equal to men,” Davis said. “Women deserve better than abortion, especially in Maryland, we need a pro-life revival.”
In Maryland, abortion is legal regardless of the trimester, according to Abortion Finder.
Davis said that on the Standing With You website, pregnant women are offered free resources like diapers, baby formula and financial assistance. She recalled helping one woman to cancel her abortion and giving her a year’s supply of diapers.
During the public debate, many students who debated Hawkins disagreed with her.
Freshman cell biology and genetics major Sarah Pang debated with Hawkins on what constitutes human life and the rights that are granted.
“We know that no one’s mind is being changed from this event because they’re very stuck in their ways, and everyone’s very stuck in our ways, for better or for worse,” she said.
Ben Weintraub, senior biology major, thought Hawkins calling abortion “human sacrifice” was being provocative and debated her using the violinist argument.
Philosopher Judith Jarvis Thomson developed the violinist argument, which argues a fetus has a right to life, but abortion is allowed in cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother.
“There’s a lot of false equivalencies that they’re making to the Holocaust or to slavery,” he said. “I just think it’s the comparison doesn’t make complete sense at all to me.”
Featured Image: Angela Harders (left) and Kristan Hawkins (right) at the “Change my Mind” public debate outside Hornbake Plaza on April 14, 2026. Photo by Danielle Ngamegni.